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John Ging worked in Gaza for nearly five years and became a vocal critic of Israeli policy
Gazans have lost one of their most outspoken advocates with the departure of John Ging, head of Gaza operations for the main U.N. agency supplying aid to Palestinians.
Ging has been appointed director of the coordination and response division at the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in New York, and starts work on Feb. 14, an OCHA spokeswoman said.
In his new role, Ging will work closely with U.N. humanitarian chief Valerie Amos and help lead the response to complex emergencies and natural disasters.
A former officer in the Irish army, Ging worked in Gaza for nearly five years and became a vocal critic of Israeli policy, including Israel's invasion of Gaza, which he said strengthened the hand of extremists.
He memorably described Israel's blockade of Gaza as a "medieval siege".
The Guardian said Ging's departure from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) will be welcomed by many in the Israeli political and military establishment who believe he overstepped the mark in his criticisms of their policies.
The BBC said Ging, one of the most high-profile Westerners living and working in Gaza, had witnessed some of the most difficult times in the enclave's history.
After Operation Cast Lead, Israel's three-week assault in Gaza which ended in January 2009, Ging described Gaza as having gone "back to the stone age".
Media reports said Ging has been the target of assassination attempts and death threats in Gaza, and Islamist opponents have attacked projects he has promoted.
Despite the difficulties of the job, Ging told the Irish Times he had "mixed feelings" about leaving a place where ordinary people showed great spirit.
"The resilience of the people ... their humanity, their decency, their good nature and humour in such desperate circumstances - I never ceased to be humbled here on a daily basis by how generous the people were in spirit and nature despite such awful circumstances, and how much they are looking to contribute in a positive way, particularly for the development of their children," he was quoted as saying.
UNRWA works with Palestinian refugees driven out of their homes after the state of Israel was created in 1948. It provides assistance, protection and advocacy to some 4.7 million registered Palestinian refugees in the Middle East.
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